


Alternate Endings

by QuixoticRobotics



Category: Hadestown - Mitchell
Genre: Found Family, Happy Ending AU, also autistic characters but like u kno me by now, also hermes and eurydice friendship bc i will make that a thing, good good train dad content, is this hurt/comfort?, like very very much so thats the point
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-31
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2021-01-15 17:24:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21256925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuixoticRobotics/pseuds/QuixoticRobotics
Summary: Things work out drastically different than the sort of thing Hermes and Eurydice are accustom to.





	Alternate Endings

Spring was right around the corner, but a thin layer of frost still covered the ground. It was a particularly cold day, the kind where you could see your own breath when you exhaled.   
  


Hermes looked out at the towards the direction of the train tracks and sighed. If a broken, exhausted Orpheus didn’t come limping back soon, Hermes would have to go look for him.    
  
First he’d go check by the opening of the tunnel down to the underworld. Sometimes he’d find the boy just sitting there. In those situations sometimes, in the best case scenario, Orpheus could be reasoned with, and Hermes could at least get him to rejoin society.   
  
Then there were the timelines where he just wouldn’t ever turn up again. Maybe Persephone would find the poor thing at some bar, drowning his sorrows. Maybe Herme’s would run into him at a crossroad, weary and more dead than alive. But more often than not, He’d never run into Orpheus ever again.   
  
Hermes checked his pocket watch. He’d give it one more day before he began his search.    
  
Then, in the distance, He spotted someone staggering in his direction. Hermes was ready for the tragedy to come to a close. At least, he told himself he was ready. He knew what to do when it happened. That’d have to be close enough.   
  
Then he realized there were two figures. The taller one leaning against the shorter one for support. It couldn’t be.    
  
He stood there, stock still, as it became increasingly clear that both of them had made it out. The taller figure waved his arm and called out “Mr. Hermes! Mr. Hermes, its us!”   
  
The two were definitely worse for wear, but there they were. Orpheus and Eurydice.    
  
The two turned to look at each other, both smiling. Orpheus then unhooked his arm from around Eurydice’s shoulder and tried to take a step in Hermes’ direction.   
  
As Orpheus stumbled forward, his guardian instinctively wrapped his arms around the exhausted boy. Orpheus weakly hugged back.   


“Mr. Hermes, did I pass the test?” He asked quietly, his voice hoarse. “Yes.” Hermes said softly, gently rubbing Orpheus’s back “You did wonderfully.”  


“Mr. Hermes?” Orpheus murmured “Yes, Orpheus?” Orpheus rested head against the god’s shoulder “‘M really, really tired.”   


“Come on, let’s get you inside” Hermes said. He and Orpheus had almost reached the door when Hermes turned his head to look at Eurydice. “You too.” he said, gesturing his head towards the door without stopping.   
  
“Oh! Sorry…” She said awkwardly. She felt stupid for just standing there, but being invited inside by a god wasn’t something she really knew how to react to.   


She did as she was told and followed inside. Hermes was laying Orpheus out onto a bed. “No need to be sorry.” Hermes said to her as he adjusted pillows and gently laid a blanket over Orpheus. “Feel free to have a seat, spare blankets are in the bottom drawer” Eurydice a chest of drawers without any trouble.    
  
As she sat down on a worn couch and bundled herself up in a patchwork quilt, Eurydice noticed that Hermes’ house was very sparsely decorated. She’d assume the homes of gods would be more opulent. She’d been expecting marble and fountains and, she didn’t know, golden harps? This was not that.    
  
Instead she found herself in a simple, one room house. There were two beds, she figured one was Hermes’s and the other belonged to Orpheus. Most of the furniture was there to serve a purpose of some sort. She didn’t spend too long thinking about the interior decorating however.    
  
“Is he going to be alright?” Eurydice asked, looking at Orpheus. “He’ll be alright, Poor thing’s exhausted.” He said, looking at a sleeping Orpheus. For a moment a small smile crossed his face.   


Eurydice wasn’t quite sure what his expression was. Relief? Parental pride? She didn’t have much time to wonder before Hermes turned his attention back to her. “What about you?” “What about me?”  
Eurydice asked, confused. “You literally died and went to Hell, you cannot possibly be fine after that.”   
  
“Oh, right, that.” Eurydice said, unsure how to answer the question. It wasn’t a question she was used to being asked. She was pretty sure she was supposed to know the answer to such a basic inquiry. She didn’t.   
  
Either her discomfort was obvious or Hermes was very observant. He rephrased the question. “Do you need anything?” he asked. Eurydice thought for a moment “Well, this uniform is getting pretty uncomfy. Does that count?” she asked nervously. “It does.” Hermes affirmed her. “I’ll look into finding you something more comfortable to wear.” He said. “Until then,” he began, “Do you like hot chocolate?”   
  
“I’ve never tried it, actually.” Eurydice admitted. Without looking away from the tiny kitchen area of the house, he asked “Would you like to?”   


“Um, yes sir.” Eurydice said. Hermes chuckled at her attempt at formality “‘Mister Hermes’ is fine, don’t worry” He assured her.  


He sighed, “You have no idea how happy I am that you two are ok.” He said.   
  
“Did you think we wouldn’t be?” Eurydice asked warily. Hermes was quiet for a moment before exhaling tiredly. “It’s less about that and more about, well, you know how things can be. It can be hard to get your hopes up.” Eurydice nodded. She didn’t have the words to articulate it, but she knew what he meant.   
  
Silence passed, before Eurydice asked “So, how do you know Orpheus, exactly? He talks about you like you’re his dad.” “Well, his mama was a friend of mine. She knew she couldn’t properly take care of him, so I offered to look after him.” Hermes explained.    
  
“Oh.” Eurydice respond awkwardly.

“Sorry if that was weird to ask.” Eurydice said. “I’ve never really done the whole ‘having a family’ thing, so I was just curious, I guess” She explained bashfully.    
  
“No, no, it’s a perfectly reasonable question to have.” Hermes said, although he sounded like his focus was somewhere else.   


“Are you ok?” Eurydice asked tentatively, hoping there wasn’t a way to ask that rudely. Hermes seemed to snap back to reality and answered “Don’t worry, I’m fine. Thank you for asking.” Then, after a pause, “You don’t get asked that very often when you’re a god” Eurydice frowned at that.  


Sure her experience with gods was limited and largely negative, but Hermes seemed incredibly thoughtful and considerate. Surely someone who’d offer to raise his friend’s kid deserved to be checked up on every now and then.   
  
“You know,” Hermes said “Orpheus, Persephone and I probably aren’t a particularly good example in regards to the  _ ‘having a family thing’ _ ”   
  
“You seem pretty good at it, at least” Eurydice remarked.   
  
Suddenly, there was groaning from where Orpheus was resting. Eurydice was at his bedside in a heartbeat. “Orpheus?” She asked gently “Eurydice?” Orpheus mumbled sleepily, focing his eyes open. He tried to sit up before wincing, still sore from the beating he took in Hadestown.

Eurydice put a hand on his shoulder, easing him back down. “It’s ok, We’re ok, just rest now.” She said softly. “Wh- Where are we?” Orpheus asked, trying to look around.   
  
Before Eurydice could answer, a third voice interrupted.

“Welcome home.”   
  
“Mr. Hermes?” Orpheus asked happily, trying again to sit up, to the same result as before. “The girl’s right you really should try and take it easy.” Hermes said. “But you’re both here!” Orpheus protested.   


“Here, let me help.” Eurydice said, rearranging pillows and easing Orpheus into a sitting position. Orpheus thanked her, she replied that it was no problem and gave him a kiss on the cheek.   
  
“Orpheus, I’m making hot chocolate for our guest, would you like some?” Hermes asked “Yes sir!” Orpheus replied with childlike enthusiasm. Eurydice giggled, happy to see Orpheus with some of his usual pep after the exhausting journey home.   
  
Home. That’s what this was now, wasn’t it? She could see herself getting used to this. Maybe she’d be better at having a family than she thought.   


**Author's Note:**

> WHILE I WAS WRITING THIS I KEPT THINKING "idk is this too cheesy" AND IF I THOUGHT IT WAS I KEPT IT IN so like. thats the vibe we're going for. like "nondescript sentimental holiday special" levels of softness. because if you dont want characters just being way softer than canon allows why are you reading fanfiction like tbh
> 
> I always get scared to put hermes or persephone in anything bc like i dont wanna piss off greek mythology nerds for completely disregarding The Sacred Text but also i love them and i love all my headcanons that completely disregard The sacred text
> 
> while i was writing this i had this huge internal debate about if i should keep the hot chocolate story element or make massive revisions. I went with the hot chocolate. I hope i made the right choice


End file.
